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Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Saturday arrived for the 12th ASEAN Defence Ministers' Meeting Plus (ADMM-Plus) in the Malaysian capital, Kuala Lumpur, where he will be addressing the forum on 'Reflection on 15 years of ADMM-Plus and Charting the Way Forward'.
The ADMM serves as the highest defence consultative and cooperative mechanism within the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). ADMM-Plus is a platform for ASEAN member states, which includes Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Timor-Leste and Vietnam, and its eight Dialogue Partners--India, the US, China, Russia, Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand--to strengthen security and defence cooperation. India became a dialogue partner of ASEAN in 1992, and the inaugural ADMM-Plus meeting was convened in Hanoi, Vietnam, in October 2010. Since 2017, the ADMM-Plus has been held annually to bolster defence cooperation among ASEAN and its partner countries. Under the current ADMM-Plus framework, India serves as the co-chair of the Experts Working Group on Counter-Terrorism alongside Malaysia for the cycle 2024-2027. Earlier on Friday, the Defence Minister held a meeting with the US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth here, during which the two countries formalised a ten-year Defence Framework Agreement, marking a significant step toward advancing India-US strategic and defence cooperation. The agreement, signed in the presence of senior officials from both sides, establishes a long-term roadmap focused on military collaboration, capacity enhancement, and joint projects across the Indo-Pacific region. Singh termed the signing as the beginning of a "new chapter" in bilateral defence ties. "We have held telephonic conversations thrice. I am delighted to be meeting you in person on the sidelines of ADMM-Plus. On this occasion, I feel a new chapter will begin today with the signing of the Defence Framework. I am confident that under your leadership, India-US relations will further strengthen," Rajnath said. Hegseth, expressing appreciation for the partnership, described the agreement as a defining moment in the evolving relationship between New Delhi and Washington. "I want to express gratitude to Minister Singh for the partnership we have with India. It's one of the most consequential US-India relationships in the world. Our strategic alignment is built on shared interests, on mutual trust and commitment to a secure and prosperous Indo-Pacific region," he said. "This 10-year US-India Defence Framework is ambitious. It's a significant step for our two militaries, a roadmap for deeper and even more meaningful collaboration ahead. It underscores America's long-term commitment to our shared security and our strong partnership," Hegseth added. (ANI)
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